Indianapolis – The Bluffton-Decker Industrial Site located in the city of Bluffton was declared Shovel-Ready Silver by Lt. Governor Sue Ellspermann via the Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA). The Shovel Ready Silver designation shows the business community that the 135 acre Bluffton-Decker Industrial Site is ready for economic development. The designation was announced by the Lt. Governor at the quarterly meeting of the Wells County Chamber of Commerce.

To be declared “Shovel-Ready” a site must have a base level of defined boundaries with a clear title, established price, demonstration of executive level local government support, defined utility capacity, and provided documentation such as Phase I environmental assessment, ALTA survey, and wetland delineation.

A Shovel-Ready Silver site will have current documentation, proper zoning, infrastructure to the property line as well as no environmental or wetland considerations.

“Bluffton has taken a big step forward with this designation,” said Ellspermann. “I look forward to seeing the growth that takes place in the near future as Bluffton continues to attract business development.”

“The city of Bluffton wholeheartedly supports this designation. We look forward to the site becoming a thriving part of Bluffton,” said Ted Ellis, Mayor of Bluffton.

The OCRA led Shovel-Ready program also works closely with the state’s Fast Access Site Team (FAST), which is comprised of multiple state agencies, including Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT), Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM), Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC).

The Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) was created by legislation in 2005, making rural Indiana a major focus for the first time. OCRA’s mission is to promote community prosperity to strengthen Indiana’s economy by providing capacity-building solutions to assure ready, marketable, and competitive communities for economic growth. For additional information on OCRA and its programs visit www.in.gov/ocra.

For updates from the Lt. Governor and the agencies she oversees, please visit www.in.gov/lgov.

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